Ngemva kokwelapha okhubazekile, uJesu uhlala isikhashana eKapernawume, eduze noLwandle LwaseGalile. Izixuku ziphinde zize kuye, bese eqala ukuzifundisa. Njengoba eqhubeka nendlela, ubona uMathewu obizwa nangokuthi uLevi, ehleli ehhovisi lentela. UJesu uyammema athi kuye: “Yiba umlandeli wami.”—Mathewu 9:9.

Kungenzeka ukuthi uMathewu usejwayelene nezimfundiso zikaJesu nemisebenzi ayenzile kule ndawo, njengoba kunjalo ngoPetru, u-Andreya, uJakobe kanye noJohane. Njengabo, uMathewu uvumela phezulu. UMathewu uyakuchaza lokho eVangelini lakhe, uthi: “Nangempela [uMathewu] wasukuma wamlandela” uJesu. (Mathewu 9:9) Ngaleyo ndlela, uMathewu ushiya umsebenzi wakhe wokuqoqa intela abe umlandeli kaJesu.

Esikhathini esithile kamuva, mhlawumbe ukuze abonise ukubonga ngalokhu kubizwa kwakhe nguJesu, uMathewu wenza idili elikhulu endlini yakhe. Ngaphandle kukaJesu nabafundi bakhe, obani abanye abamenyiwe? Kukhona nedlanzana labaqoqi bentela ababesebenza noMathewu. Baqoqela iziphathimandla zaseRoma ezizondwayo intela, okuhlangisa intela yemikhumbi efikayo, intela yemithwalo ehamba emigwaqweni emikhulu nentela yempahla evela kwamanye amazwe. AmaJuda ababheka kanjani laba baqoqi bentela? Abantu bayabazonda ngenxa yokuthi bavame ukufuna imali engaphezu kwenani lentela evamile. Kukhona nezoni kuleli dili, abantu abaziwayo ukuthi benza izinto ezimbi.—Luka 7:37-39.

Lapho bebona uJesu esedilini nabantu abanjalo, abaFarisi abalapho abazitshela ukuthi balungile babuza abafundi bakhe: “Kungani umfundisi wenu edla nabaqoqi bentela nezoni?” (Mathewu 9:11) UJesu uyabezwa bese ephendula: “Abantu abayimiqemane abamdingi udokotela, kodwa ngabagulayo abamdingayo. Khona-ke, hambani niyofunda ukuthi kusho ukuthini lokhu: ‘Ngifuna isihe, hhayi umhlatshelo.’ Ngoba ngizele ukuzobiza izoni, hhayi abantu abalungile.” (Mathewu 9:12, 13; Hoseya 6:6) AbaFarisi babiza uJesu ngokuthi ‘umfundisi’ bembhuqa, nokho kuningi abangakufunda kuye mayelana nokuthi yini elungile.

Kubonakala sengathi uMathewu umeme abaqoqi bentela nezoni emzini wakhe, ukuze bazolalela uJesu futhi bathole ukuphulukiswa ngokomoya “ngoba babebaningi ababemlandela.” (Marku 2:15) UJesu ufuna ukubasiza babe nobuhlobo obuhle noNkulunkulu. Ngokungafani nabaFarisi abazibona belungile, uJesu akabazondi abantu abanjalo. Unesihe nozwela; angakwazi ukuba udokotela ongokomoya wabo bonke abagula ngokomoya.

UJesu ubabonisa isihe abaqoqi bentela nezoni, hhayi ngoba evumelana nezono zabo kodwa ukuze ababonise umusa ofana nalowo awubonise labo abagula emzimbeni. Ngokwesibonelo, khumbula lapho ethinta onochoko ngozwela, ethi: “Ngiyathanda! Hlanzeka.” (Mathewu 8:3) Akufanele yini nathi sibonise isihe esifanayo, ngokusiza labo abaswele, ikakhulukazi ngokubasiza bathuthukise ubuhlobo babo noNkulunkulu?